Building your own Cage?

[jamesam16]

Is it possible to build your own bird cage?
What kind of matrials should I use?

[PolyPill]

Yeah, you can build your own, and the materials you use probably depend on your abilities. I've been researching for a while and it looks like most people use plexi glass or lexan, just don't forget to put plenty of holes for air! I was going to take a stab at a metal one since I can weld and make forms, although I haven't finished my 3D drawing of it yet. I've also considdered taking a few smaller cages and making 1 big cage, but it isn't exactly what I want and I'm picky.

When ever I build anything I always draw it out in detail first, it will you save a lot of head aches later. An easy and free 3D program is Google SketchUp http://sketchup.google.com Even if it's just a square, draw it out to scale with all your measurments, you might realize that you don't like how it looks.

[parakeet2007]

i have a question, shoudl budgie cages be made from wire or the glass like a huge aquarium with holes in it?

thanks

[clifff123]

shoudl budgie cages be made from wire or the glass like a huge aquarium
I feel they should be made from wire mesh. Budgies need fresh air and allot easer to clean.

[PolyPill]

I feel they should be made from wire mesh. Budgies need fresh air and allot easer to clean.

I have no experience with this and I'm just repeating what I read, but it seems there are many people would disagree with you. Most pet stores I've seen use some form of glass on their budgie cages, not that a pet store is always the model, but I think it shows that it at least doesn't kill them. It would keep more of the mess inside the cage, probably just have to completely clean it more often. My guess is if you're going to make one out of glass then you should make it a little larger than if you were to use a wire frame.

[clifff123]

Although acrylic cages, may be a choice for smaller birds and small bird aviaries, many people believe the current acrylic cages are not a good choice for birds. Birds like to climb and need places to secure a foot hold. Birds' feet and beaks can more easily scratch the acrylic, making it unsightly and creating places for dirt and bacteria to collect. They require more work to clean and disinfect. Poor air exchange, which may promote growth of organisms, can also be a problem without a ventilating fan. There continue to be advances in the design of acrylic cages which are addressing these problems.
Its your choice and its your bird. I'm just saying I would Never buy a acrylic cage for my birds. They like to climb all the time and without cage bars they would be unable to do that.

Take a poll of all the members on this forum and I bet 89% would say wire cage.
Also pet stores are usually wide open, and budgies don't do good in a draft. They usually use these to block the draft from the budgies and stop customers from sticking in their hands. Go look at the cage area and see how many acrylic cages they have for sale compared to the wire cages.

Remember: JUST MY OPINION

[PolyPill]

Everything you say makes perfect sense and I'm sure you're right. They may not be the best for them but I don't think 1 or 2 budgies in a large acrylic cage would harm them. I think it all has to do with how you design it, budgies like to climb, so give them something more to climb in the cage besides the perches. And no one said acrylic has to be solid, I was talking about it as a building material and you can buy sheets of honeycombed acrylic which would provide just as much air as a wire cage, or spend a long time drilling lots and lots of holes, or even cut more bar type shapes. Acrylics are easier to work with for most people doing it in their home, I think a proper wire cage needs more metal working abilities. Sure you could get some chicken wire/screen and wrap it around a wooden frame and it's probably what you want for an outside avery, but who wants that in their house?